Podcasting by Pegah Jamshidi
♦Podcasting Podcasting is a term inspired by the Apple Computer Corporation’s iPod—a portable digital audio player that allows users to download music from their computer directly to the device for later listening. The term is no longer specifically related to the iPod but refers to any software and hardware combination that permits automatic downloading of audio files (most commonly in MP3 format) for listening at the user’s convenience. Unlike traditional radio or other Web-based streaming media, podcasts give listeners control over when they hear the recording. Podcasting makes use of the Internet’s Real Simple Syndication (RSS) standard. It differs from broadcasting and Webcasting in the way that content is published and transmitted via the Web. Instead of a central audio stream, podcasting sends audio content directly to an iPod or other MP3 player. Why is it significant? Podcasting allows education to become more portable than ever before. Podcasting cannot replace the classroom, but it provides educators one more way to meet today’s students where they “live”—on the Internet and on audio players. Barriers to adoption and costs are minimal. The tools to implement podcasts are simple and affordable. Podcasting is predicted to soon become a mainstream application, much like video-ondemand recorders (such as TiVo). Podcast enthusiasts see no limit to the potential uses of this technology, particularly in education, and the number of podcast aggregators (sites that collect, categorize, and then make available podcasts for subscribers) is growing. It is possible that specialized higher education–based aggregators will emerge, offering students access to missed lectures, instructions for laboratory experiments, and so forth. Interlacing podcasts with video applications— listening to a podcast while viewing related material on the Web—is another area of experimentation in education. Podcasting is evolving at a rapid rate. New features—categorizing, navigating, and indexing—are being demanded by users. Consequently, designers and producers of podcasts are seeking new ways to add layers of richness to simple audio files—creating audio experiences that are both entertaining and instructive. What are the implications for teaching and learning? Podcasting allows students to use their technology-based entertainment systems (iPods, MP3 players) for educational experiences. Because students are already familiar with the underlying technology, podcasting broadens educational options in a nonthreatening and easily accessible manner. For example, podcasting allows lectures or other course content to be made available to students if they miss class. Beyond missed lectures, podcasting can provide access to experts through interviews. Podcasting is not limited to content delivered to the student, however; students can create their own podcasts—as a record of activities, a way to collect notes, or a reflection on what they have learned. ' ' SCREENCASTING One step from podcasting is screencasting, which is a relatively new medium that it can have a lot promise in the classrooms. Screencastora are those who are capturing what happens on a computer screen, adding a bit of audio narrative, and publishing it as multimedia web tours or stories. Teacher can use screencasting in order to create training video. There are many screencasting tools and one of the essential pieces of software. Once you have Jing up and running, it sits in the upper right hand corner of your screen like a small sun and it has three icons a plus sign icon that lets you start the capture process, a disc icon that lets you at the history of what you have captured, and a gear icon where you can configure things. Live Streaming video Live Streaming video is the most resent entry into the multimedia publishing which enables both teachers and students to create their own TV shows online and help them to learn from each other and it also make the process of learning more interesting rather than the visual and often boring teaching and learning process which are conducted in regular classes. ' ' References: 1. www.educause.edu/eli/ Advancing learning through IT innovation 2. Wikipedia 3. "Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms" by Will Richardson